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Bodh Gaya Travel Essentials

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"Buddha, Mahabodhi Tree and the land of Nirvana"

Bodh Gaya Tourism

Bodh Gaya is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Gaya District of Bihar. Famous for the Mahabodhi Temple, It was here under the Bodhi tree that Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.

It is now one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and a lot of foreign countries, including Japan and China, have helped the Indian government in building facilities for the Buddhist pilgrims. The place is bustling with pilgrims all through the year from India and abroad who come to pay their homage in monasteries, temples and remnants of Bodhi Tree.

Located near the river Neranjana, Bodh Gaya was earlier known as Uruwela. It was also known as Sambodhi, Vajrasana or Mahabodhi until the 18th century CE. It is one of the four important Buddhist sites that include: Kushinagar, Lumbini and Sarnath.

Mahabodhi Temple

Great Buddha Statue

Tibetan Refugee Market

Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya

Thai Monastery

Mahabodhi Temple Complex Book store

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Bodh Gaya Travel Packages

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8 Days / 7 Nights

Buddha Trail 7N Tour Package

$252 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Complete Varanasi & Bodh Gaya Tour Package

$168 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Pilgrimage Special Package: Varanasi, Bodh Gaya...

$154 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour: Varanasi & Bodhgaya

$222 per adult on twin sharing

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5 Days / 4 Nights

Serinity of Varanasi & Bodh Gaya

$125 per adult on twin sharing

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4 Days / 3 Nights

Enthralling Varanasi, Bodh Gaya & Patna

$180 per adult on twin sharing

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Top Hotels In Bodh Gaya

The Bodhgaya Hotel School

9.1 (132 reviews)

$ 71 onwards

Hyatt Place Bodh Gaya

8.7 (61 reviews)

$ 90 onwards

HouseTale- A Traveller's Home "Osara"

9.5 (78 reviews)

$ 12 onwards

Momotaro House

9.4 (48 reviews)

$ 14 onwards

Maya Heritage

8.4 (188 reviews)

$ 52 onwards

Tara Guest House

9.3 (92 reviews)

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History of Bodh Gaya

Anciently known as Uruwela, Bodhgaya was situated on the banks of river Nerajana, now known as river Lilajan. King Ashoka is believed to have built the first temple on the land. As per theory, Buddha was born in 563 BC in a land which now belongs to Nepal, on the auspicious night of Baisakhi Purnima. Born as the son of a king, Prince Siddhartha renounced his world possessions at the age of 29 and travelled far and wide in search of the eternal truth. After observing self-mortification for 6 years, he did not attain Vimukthi so he gave up the practice. He then discovered the Eightfold path which freed him from lust, hatred and delusion and thus attained enlightenment or “Buddhatva”. The tree under which he gained enlightenment is the renowned Bodhi tree. He gained numerous followers in the days to follow and the village turned into a pilgrimage centre. Emperor Ashoka himself was one of his biggest disciples and he built the famous Mahabodhi temple. The sacred village gained momentum around the 13th century and plenty of shrines and temples were built. But soon after the area fell into the hands of the brutal Turkish emperors and they ransacked the city. The British rule later restored the city to its pure sacred form. At present, the city is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrim sites and is declared as world heritage site by UNESCO.

The City of Enlightenment

Situated on the banks of river Neranjana, Bodh is a holy city in the state of Bihar. A UNESCO World Heritage Site today, Bodh was the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment and earned the name Bodhisattva. Thus, the small town is believed to be the most sacred place for Buddhists. Formerly known as Sambodhi, the city still holds evidence of Ashoka's contribution to commemorate Buddha's enlightenment and preach Buddhism. The small city holds several mysteries which leaves even historians mesmerised.

Restaurants and Local Food in Bodh Gaya

Bodhgaya, being a religious centre does not offer a lot of options when it comes to non-vegetarian food or alcohol. However the town sustains quiet a variety from Tibetan dishes, Italian dishes including pastas and pizzas, Thai cuisine, Korean cuisine to traditional Bihari Cuisine.
Gaya is also famous for its sweets and is the place of origination for a number of the same. The main sweets here are Enursa, Tilkut, Khaja, Lai and Kesariya peda all of which are exclusive to Bihar. Other Bihari dishes like Sattu ka roti, Litti-chokha, Pua, Marua ka roti, Chana Bhuja, Aaloo Kachalu etc. are also easily available here.
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Suggested Itinerary for Bodh Gaya

A visit to Bodhgaya is all about faith and religion. While the small town has got a lot of temples and places of worship, we have put down the few popular ones in the itinerary for you.

Day 1: You can start your trip by visiting the famous Thai Monastery followed by the world heritage site of Mahabodhi Temple, which is the root of an entire religion. Inside the temple is also located the holy shrine of Cankamana which have the imprints of Buddha’s footprints on stone lotus leaves. Post this, you can go witness the renowned Bodhi Tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. End the day by going to Vishnu Temple famed for having the footprints of Lord Vishnu.

Day 2: Begin the next day by going to Indosan Nippon Japanese Temple. Dedicate the next few hours to awe at the glorious magnificent statue of Buddha. There are plenty of guides available in the vicinity to answer your queries. Spend a quiet evening next to Muchalinda Lake.

In case, you are planning to stay another day and are in the mood for a rough trek, you can visit Dungeswari Hills. You can also choose from a number of temples to pay homage to- Chinese temple, Mangla Gauri temple, Sujatha temple etc.

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How to Reach Bodh Gaya

How to Reach Overview

The nearest airport is at Gaya (17 km) with regular flights to and from multiple cities. Gaya also has the nearest railway station which is accessible by bus or three-wheel taxis. Regular bus service is also available from Varanasi, Nalanda, Rajgir and Kathmandu. Journey by car can be very rough, and it is advisable to avoid the Gaya Market area.

How to reach Bodh Gaya by flight

The nearest airport is 17 km away in Gaya. The airport receives very few flights. So, it's best to travel via Patna Airport which is 135 km away. You can hire a taxi from either of the destinations to travel to Bodh Gaya. There is a direct Druk Air flight from Bangkok Airport.

How to reach Bodh Gaya by road

You can take a taxi from Patna to Bodh Gaya. However, the roads are narrow making the journey slow and dangerous. It takes around 3 hours to travel from Patna to Gaya. Also, Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation regularly run buses to Gaya from towns like Varanasi, Nalanda, Rajgir and Kathmandu.

How to reach Bodh Gaya by train

The Gaya Railway Station is located at a distance of 16 km from Bodh Gaya. You can hire a taxi or an auto rickshaw from the railway station. If hiring an autorickshaw, bargain for the prices as they tend to be variable.

Local transport in Bodh Gaya

Most sites in Bodh Gaya are easy to find and within 5-15 minutes walking distance of the Mahabodhi Temple Complex.

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How much does a package cost for Bodh gaya?

The packages for Bodh gaya start at INR 7251 which can be further customized based on number of people, days, hotel category, vehicle type and customizations. You can have a look at all packages here

What are the places near Bodh gaya?

The top places near to Bodh gaya are Nalanda which is 67 km from Bodh gaya, Rajgir which is located 57 km from Bodh gaya, Varanasi which is located 214 km from Bodh gaya, Patna which is located 102 km from Bodh gaya, Vaishali which is located 145 km from Bodh gaya

What are the things to do in Bodh gaya?

The top things to do in Bodh gaya are Mahabodhi Temple, Great Buddha Statue, Tibetan Refugee Market, Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya, Thai Monastery, Mahabodhi Temple Complex Book store. You can see all the places to visit in Bodh gaya here

What is the best way to reach Bodh gaya?

What is the local food in Bodh gaya?

What is the best time to visit Bodh gaya?

October to March is ideal for a visit according to the weather conditions, but tourists flock here throughout the year. Post-October, a lot of monks, flock from Dharamshala to Bodh Gaya and the city is coloured with maroon robes. Dalai Lama himself spends some time here during December and January. Visitors also flock here in the month of Vaisakh (April-May) to celebrate the Buddha Purnima, the auspicious day when Siddhartha had attained enlightenment.
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Who should visit Bodh gaya?

Bodh, commonly known as Bodhgaya, is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centres in the world. Apart from pilgrims, Bodhgaya is a major attraction for historians, anthropologists and linguists.

What is not so good about Bodh gaya?

Extremely hot in summers. Not many non-vegetarian eateries available. Travelling at night might be risky.

What is famous about Bodh gaya?

Peaceful environment. Culturally and spiritually rich.

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Bodh Gaya Reviews

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Shashank Aditya

5 years ago

A trip to Bodh Gaya is extremely famous for its Buddhist ideologies and enlightenment stories. BUDDHA AND BUDDHISM WAS BORN HERE The famous places to visit are Bodhi tree, Mahabodhi temple, Thai mona (Read More)stery, Brahmayoni temple and Cankamana. One meets his inner self here and experiences peace in Buddhist tour India.

Sachin kumar

5 years ago

A very peaceful place for meditation

Brahmani Keni

6 years ago

A trip to Bodh Gaya can be clubbed with a trip to West Bengal. Bodh Gaya is extremely famous for its Buddhist ideologies and enlightenment stories. BUDDHA AND BUDDHISM WAS BORN HERE The famous places (Read More) to visit are Bodhi tree, Mahabodhi temple, Thai monastery, Brahmayoni temple and Cankamana. One meets his inner self here and experiences peace.

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Bodh Gaya

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Bodh Gaya Travel Essentials

"Buddha, Mahabodhi Tree and the land of Nirvana"

Bodh Gaya Tourism

Places To Visit In Bodh Gaya

Bodh Gaya Travel Packages

Buddha Trail 7N Tour Package

Complete Varanasi & Bodh Gaya Tour Package

Pilgrimage Special Package: Varanasi, Bodh Gaya...

Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour: Varanasi & Bodhgaya

Serinity of Varanasi & Bodh Gaya

Enthralling Varanasi, Bodh Gaya & Patna

Top Hotels In Bodh Gaya

More on Bodh Gaya Travel

History of Bodh Gaya

The City of Enlightenment

Restaurants and Local Food in Bodh Gaya

Suggested Itinerary for Bodh Gaya

Best Time to Visit Bodh Gaya

Top Stories about Bodh Gaya Tourism

Nearby Places

How to Reach Bodh Gaya

How to Reach Overview

How to reach Bodh Gaya by flight

How to reach Bodh Gaya by road

How to reach Bodh Gaya by train

Local transport in Bodh Gaya

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Bodh Gaya Photos

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How much does a package cost for Bodh gaya?

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What is the best way to reach Bodh gaya?

What is the local food in Bodh gaya?

What is the best time to visit Bodh gaya?

Who should visit Bodh gaya?

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What is famous about Bodh gaya?

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